Winter Skin Care - Keeping moisture in

As the winter moves in, the dry winter air comes in with it. You may have already noticed that your skin is dry and you are itchy. The good news is there are steps you can take to keep your skin moist and supple throughout the fall and winter months. The goal is not to put moisture in, but to keep moisture in.

Hot water robs the skin of moisture; it is best to shower and bathe in lukewarm water. By the way, this applies to your hands, too. Warm water is best. If your hands are turning red, then the water is too hot!

Apply moisture to your skin while your skin is still damp. Use your towel to pat yourself dry rather than rubbing yourself dry. For your legs and arms an oil will be more effective than a lotion. You may want to consider going to a health food store and purchasing organic extra virgin coconut oil. Slather this on your damp skin, and your legs and arms will be silky and supple. If you want to stay with a lotion, consider shea butter, which we have blogged about in previous articles.

If you are a chronic hand sanitizer, remember that these chemicals are very harsh on your hands and nails. Keep a nice hand lotion with you to apply after you are done washing your hands. Sample and travel sizes work well for keeping in your purse or desk drawer at work.

A great tip for keeping your skin moist is to get a small mister spray bottle and fill it with mineral water. You can put a light spritz of this on right over your makeup during the day. Evian has a mineral water spray for this purpose. Another quick tip for your face is that your moisturizer is absorbed better on exfoliated skin. Extra hint: Dry brushing the skin on your entire body before showering has a similar effect and will allow any oil or lotion you put on to be more effective.

To keep the air in your bedroom moist, invest in a humidifier and use it in the winter months. Keep it on while you are sleeping, and close your bedroom door so the moist air stays in. A humidity level of 30% is what skin needs to be moist and balanced, and in the winter months with heat on the air in your home can have a level of less than 10% humidity.

So stock up on your potions and lotions, crank up the humidifier and enjoy the winter!